2022 Nebraska Rural Poll Reports

Community Well-Being and Leadership in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska, released January 2023

The past year continued to be challenging for rural Nebraskans. High inflation rates are impacting household budgets and profit margins of businesses. Given these challenges and opportunities, how do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided by their community? Have these views changed over the past 27 years? Community leadership is an important part of community development. Rural communities rely on volunteers for many local leadership positions. In smaller communities in particular, community members often take on multiple roles. Given these challenges, how do they feel about the leadership in their community? How often do they have social interactions with others during a typical month? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

Views of Well-Being in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska, released January 2023

The past year continued to be challenging for rural Nebraskans. High inflation rates are impacting household budgets. While strong farm income projections have been made, the impacts of the ongoing drought could mitigate those expectations. Given these challenges and opportunities, how do rural Nebraskans believe they are doing and how do they view their future? How satisfied are they with various items that influence their well-being? Have these views changed over the past 27 years? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans’ Opinions about Water, Climate, and Energy, released December 2, 2022

Water is an important resource in Nebraska. Most of the drinking water in the state comes from groundwater sources. Public water sources are required to test their water to ensure it is safe. However, private wells are not subject to any safety or quality standards. Given that, what are the main sources of home tap water for rural Nebraskans? Do they test or treat their water? How concerned are they about water in general? Extreme weather events have also impacted Nebraska in recent years. The ongoing drought as well as flooding in 2019 have affected many Nebraskans. How concerned are rural Nebraskans about extreme weather events? What are their opinions about global climate change? What energy sources do they think Nebraska should invest in? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

Perceptions of the Economy and Employment in Nonmetropolitan Nebraska, released October 13, 2022

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, economic growth in Nebraska became steady in early 2022. However, high inflation impacting household budgets and businesses presents some concern about future economic conditions. Given all this, what do rural Nebraskans expect will happen in the economy in the next 12 months? What employment decisions are they currently making? How important are various workplace characteristics for them and are they present in their current situation? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.